


Old Love

by HomeForImaginaryFriends



Series: 31 Days of HQ Halloween [13]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Mythology, Gen, Grim Reapers, M/M, Magic, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Nymphs & Dryads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 02:50:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21246272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomeForImaginaryFriends/pseuds/HomeForImaginaryFriends
Summary: A fight is brewing between a pair of gods in a small town flower shop and only the god of the underworld can stop it. (Or escalate things further, it really depends on how Kuroo is feeling that day.)





	Old Love

Matsukawa stares down at the sketchpad in front of him with something edging on disdain but is closer to disinterest. He really is a terrible artist, centuries of practice probably wouldn’t help him get any better. It probably wouldn’t matter much if he didn’t work in a tattoo shop. Though it’s much more of a front considering the owner made it nigh impossible for most mortals to find despite it being located on a busy street surrounded by other popular and buzzling stores.

Only those who were willing to sell their souls could find this parlor and it wasn’t as if Matsukawa had the ability to make those deals. No, his boss had revoked those privileges. It wasn’t his fault that mortals had invented cheese-filled hamburger steak and he was willing to give out life-altering favors for it.

The entire building shook and Matsukawa looked up curiously. It wasn’t exactly a normal occurrence, Matsukawa had a feeling it was just the buildings that were shaking and not the ground itself. He idly wondered what would happen if the building were to collapse on him, he thought he’d just wake up in the Underworld like the past couple times the body he occupied had died.

Kuroo walked out of the back of the parlor looking every part of a tattoo artist. Considering he was a God it was mostly just aesthetic choices. His arms were covered in beautiful depicted flowers that shifted and moved as if they were swaying in the breeze. More blooms curled up his long neck, peeking above the collar of his dark gray sweater. He had a black mask over his nose and mouth with black latex gloves covering his hands. A moment later Tanaka walked out of the back, her tank top pushed off her shoulders and revealing the new lines of a complicated looking chest piece.

“What-” Tanaka stopped, pieces of her short blonde hair falling out of the clips that held it back as she looked up. Matsukawa followed her gaze to see a long crack appear, stretching across the seam of the room.

Kuroo unhooked the mask from behind his ears, dark eyes flashing amber as his anger rushed forward. Matsukawa carefully put his pencil down, long fingers wrapping around his scythe. He much rather kill some fool for stupidly damaging a Gods tattoo parlor than spend another second trying to figure out proportions or shading.

Then small tendrils pushed through the crack, winding further into the seam and revealing themselves to be vines with sharp looking thornes that glistened and dripped poison.

“I’ll reschedule.” Tanaka intelligently said, pulling up the straps of her tank top. Kuroo was already striding out of the parlor with Matsukawa fast on his heels.

Matsukawa had been in service of Kuroo for centuries, far before they had come to Japan and set up a little parlor next to a beautiful flower shop. Years before they were even known as Matsukawa or Kuroo, back when Matsukawa was simply a Grim and Kuroo was better known as the God of the Underworld. Matsukawa remembered the bleak and dreary days of _ the Before _. Before a seemingly minor god wandered his way into the Underworld and married the God of the Dead. The one God thrown from Olympus, the only one trusted to oversee the Underworld.

Most were scared of that God, one of the Big Three who fought titans and nearly overthrew Olympus more than a handful of times. Those who feared him weren’t wrong but they so often believed that his part-time husband, the god of vegetation, was God of the Deads softer counterpart.

Fools. Absolute fools. What soft _ minor god _ wanders into the Underworld then proposes to the oldest son of the titans? Minor god Matsukawa’s aching butt. Those who knew better would much rather deal with Kuroo than get on his husbands bad side.

So which fool had angered Sawamura?

Matsukawa stopped behind Kuroo once they entered the building next door. Sawamura’s flower shop was constantly being overrun by growing things but usually there was some sort of order to the madness but now there was hardly room for the both of them to stand by the door. Plants had broken out of their pots, turned twisted and lethal looking, reaching for the reason their master was so angry.

And Sawamura was angry. He was always quick to anger but like most gods that fizzled out and mostly he did not cause the sort of destruction that a lot of gods left in the wake of their anger. Sawamura liked humans and attempted not to disrupt their fragile little realm while he was banned from the Underworld six months out of the year.

The sky roared outside, lightning striking across the dark sky.

Matsukawa wanted a nap.

“Yo.” Matsukawa turned and had to duck down to see Hanamaki leaning against the counter. His stance was casual but the way he held the gardening shears belied his calm. Matsukawa gave him a two finger salute.

“Bokuto.” Kuroo said the name of the other God who was nose-to-nose with his husband. Sparks were running up and down Bokuto’s body and Matsukawa really wished it had been any other God but the one of the Sky.

Nothing ever good came when the two brothers got into it. The human realm was still recovering from their last fight.

“Go near him and I will feed your body to my plants.” Sawamura threatened. He was a fair bit shorter than Bokuto, shorter than a lot of the Gods which could have been as easy to fix as getting rid of Kuroo’s bedhead or Bokuto’s lopsided grin.

“Maybe it’s time for you to go back to Olympus-” Before Bokuto could carry through with his threat Sawamura had leaned back and headbutted him.

Matsukawa winced in sympathy and Bokuto’s nose spurted golden blood. He made his careful way to stand behind the front counter, next to Hanamaki. He knew better than to stand in the way of a fight between gods.

“Alright!” Kuroo stepped between his husband and brother, putting hand to Bokuto’s chest to push him back. He didn’t try to move Sawamura, knew better than to look back and see the glare the other god was giving the back of his head. “What is this about?” Bokuto laughed as he ran a hand over his broken nose, fixing it easily enough.

“All I did was ask the name of the delivery man.” Bokuto grinned, shifting onto the balls of his feet and his swayed slightly, trying to get a better look at Sawamura. Matsukawa raised an eyebrow at Hanamaki, who rolled his eyes skyward. _ Gods _, the look said. It always involved a runaway libido when it came to Bokuto.

“Oh?” Kuroo dropped his hand, looking interested. He couldn’t see the nasty look Sawamura was giving him but he had to feel it.

“Nice shoulders, soft eyes, long hair.” Bokuto described. “Looks like he could bench press me and I’d like it.”

From myths and legends many people came to the conclusion that the Big Three did not get along, which was and wasn’t true. From a normal, mortal standpoint it might seem like a highly dysfunctional relationship. From a non-mortal standpoint it was a highly dysfunctional relationship. But the brothers did love each other, they were just self-involved gods who had far too much power and little inclination to hold back once and awhile.

Bad things happened when the brothers fought but even worse things happened when they schemed together.

Matsukawa could feel an encroaching migraine, which was a ridiculous concept since he was a Grim Reaper and therefore didn’t suffer human melodies.

“Asahi?” Kuroo questioned, turning back to his husband to check if his answer was right before noticing that yes, he had guessed right but hell wasn’t the only thing that was about to freeze over.

“I love him.” Bokuto declared passionately.

Sawamura took a step back and a deep breath. Hanamaki grabbed the back of Matsukawa’s shirt and yanked him back right before the ground opened up.

“My love, it is just a harmless infatuation.” Kuroo stood on top of the counter next to Bokuto.

“Harmless?” Sawamura asked, eyes flashing dangerously.

“Seems like you two have some marital issues to sort through, I’ll leave you to it.” Bokuto clapped Kuroo on the shoulder before disappearing in a flash.

“I’ll feed both of your bodies to my plants.” Sawamura promised.

“If that’s what it takes to earn your forgiveness.” Kuroo easily agreed. It was made easier by the fact that the body he currently occupied was only a vessel. It would still make a good fodder for Sawmaura’s plants, the blood red roses in the back could attest to that. Hanamaki, being a tree nymph whose cherry tree stood strong in the middle of the shop also fed off the bodies of those who had opposed Sawamura.

The whole in the ground disappeared and the plants around them stopped their slow trek to overtake the entire building. Sawamura’s anger was gone but he was frowning still.

Kuroo hopped off the counter, pulling off his latex gloves as he did so before standing in front of his husband. The exposed tattoos blossomed and reached towards Sawamura, as if they would start growing out of Kuroo’s skin just for a single touch.

“I will talk to Akaashi, make sure nothing bad happens to Asahi.” Kuroo promised. “Bokuto hasn’t been that excited about anything in decades.” He reached up carefully to run his thumb over Sawamura’s cheek. “And if he does something harmful I will help you kill him and we will overthrow Olympus, how does that sound?” Sawamura tried to keep his frown but a deep chuckle broke through and then he was leaning forward to rest his forehead against Kuroo’s chest. Kuroo looked immensely pleased with himself as he wrapped his arms around the shorter god.

Hanamaki leaned his shoulder against Matsukawa, just the slightest pressure. They both knew that if Kuroo charged on Olympus, Matsukawa would only be a step behind. As always. Hanamaki couldn’t wander far from his tree, where his true spirit rested, but he had been around long enough to know how this would go.

Hanamaki had been given the task of keeping Kuroo and Sawamura apart six months out of the year. Considering Kuroo was now nuzzling Sawamura’s temple and whispering increasingly ridiculous terms of endearments in every language he knew, which was all of them, he was doing a fine upstanding job. 

“Asahi is an asexual incubus.” Hanamaki stated in a deadpan tone. Matsukawa hummed as he watched the two old married gods laugh and tease each other like it was their first century of marriage.

“Wait, what?” Matsukawa asked, earning a snort of laughter from Hanamaki.

**Author's Note:**

> October 14th, 2019 - 14. Overgrown


End file.
